Chapter 12 - The End Result(s) - Part 2
JC's Estate Grounds...
"Sometimes, love can cost us the very person we care about the most. In the end, it is better to have love and lost than to never have loved at all. Only, that isn't always true..." - Unknown
It's too quiet.
Justin knows something isn't right and that JC made the ground of the lavish estate to be that way. His eyes flit across the many trees, trimmed bushes and freshly manicured lawn. Sighing, he grips his gun tightly before pushing Grant forward to walk as all four men make their way up the steps of the mansion towards the front door. They're walking into a trap, he can sense it. But, this needs to be done.
"Justin this isn't right, we...we should have brought backup." Jacob voices, his piece clutched tightly in his palms as his eyes scan the estate grounds thoroughly.
"Yeah man, we could get sniped or something." Ronnie adds in, his hands shaky.
Groaning in annoyance, Justin walks up to the front door, putting Grant under Jacob's watch so his task at hand can have his full attention. Pausing briefly, he turns around to face his two weary friends with a scowl on his face. Bringing his hand up to scratch at his stubble, he simply shrugs uncaringly. He's a man on a mission and he won't stop until he gets Diane to safety or all the air is pulled right out of his lungs. "Look, I know Josh. He's in there now with Diane waiting for us." Justin assures but his friends hold skeptic stares.
"JC isn't that stupid. Besides, what if you're wrong?" Ronnie suggests and Justin just smirks.
"Then I'll improvise." Justin shrugs.
"You're being careless Justin. Are you forgetting that you have a little girl who needs you?" Jacob scolds causing Justin to flinch mere millimeters away from the door knob.
Bowing his head, flashes of Courtney shoot through his mind and as if on cue flashes of his past with Ashley and Simone engulf him. Consumed by sudden anger, Justin shakes his thoughts away, gripping the door knob and twisting it roughly, not surprised that it's unlocked. JC's definitely waiting for them or more him. He's aware of this, but, he won't have a replay of his past. "Don't worry about it Jacob."
"You're so stupid. You're walking right into a trap." Grant wheezes as his breathing is still not fully balanced out.
"Thanks for the input Grant." Justin chides, never turning around to acknowledge him because he already knows this.
Pushing the front door open, all four men remain in the doorway on the platform gazing in, hesitant and a little terrified of the fate that might await them. All except Justin that is. Doing a brief scan of his surroundings, Justin easily struts in, instructing Jacob and Ronnie to follow.
In a few seconds flat, all men are standing in the threshold of JC's mansion with the door slamming shut behind them.
Without a second thought, Justin points his gun out protectively in front of him as he looks around for any sign of life. When he finds none, he rolls his eyes, knowing that JC must have every intention of trying to talk him into trading Diane as a last resort before he whips out whatever plan he's concocted for them.
"This is ridiculous." Justin mutters as he takes in the spacious mansion filled with everything expensive and plush. Feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins, his head snaps in the direction of the staircase when a loud thud sounds from somewhere upstairs. The noise is sharp and echoes off the walls of the silent mansion.
"Wow, what the fuck was that?" Ronnie belts.
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out." Justin whispers back, his eyes never once leaving those stairs. Unfortunately, the moment he makes a step towards his target destination, he stops abruptly when a figure comes sprinting down the stairway, a slightly shocked expression on their face when they notice that there are people in their midst.
Stopping in the middle of the stairway, JC's blues darken immensely and his eyes narrow at the four men still standing in the threshold of his place. "Well, well, well...I've been expecting you Justin." JC smiles deviously with his gun dangling in his fingertips.
Pointing his gun in JC's direction, Justin fires a shot, missing JC's head by mere centimeters, the bullet sailing by and piercing the wall behind him. The loud sound of the shot causes Grant to jump in astonishment as Justin's two friends look on intently.
"Wow! What the fuck!" JC screams out, ducking behind the banister of the stairs with his gun now pointed at Justin in defense.
"You son of a bitch! You're lucky I intended to miss. Where the fuck is she?" Justin snaps as he walks towards JC with a fiery glow in his eyes.
"Are you fucking insane Justin?" JC belts furiously before he straightens his posture with his aim on Justin as Justin keeps his gun pointed at JC.
Walking to the bottom of the stairs, Justin looks up at JC, wondering if he should just shoot him and get it over with; but first he needs to find out where Diane is located and what JC did to her. "Where is she Josh? I'm not playing with you..." And another shot goes off, this one bouncing off the step near JC's feet.
"You fucking asshole!" JC belts, nearly falling over in shock. Pulling back the safety on his gun, he takes a few steps back, climbing the stairs backwards as Justin takes a step up. "So this is how you want to play huh?" JC smirks, his fear slowly dissipating because he knows Justin won't do anything to him until he knows if Diane is safe.
"I fucking swear Josh. The next time, I won't miss." Justin growls angrily, climbing the stairs towards JC, his advances slow and cautious.
"You won't shoot me." JC spits out confidently.
"I can try my chances that Diane is still in this fucking mansion and blow your brains out. Don't test me Joshua." Justin hisses, trying to keep his cool for the most part.
As both men continue to climb the stairs to the second floor, Justin remembers that his two friends are watching over Grant. "Ron, Jacob, keep an eye on Grant. If he tries anything...take him out." Justin instructs with his back to his peers as he continues to climb the stairs towards JC who's backing up.
Both men's eyes remain locked on each other as they finally make it unto the platform of the second floor, the hallway decked out with endless doors on either side.
"But Justin..." Ronnie calls out, but Jacob silences him and instructs Grant to move.
"Shouldn't we do a trade Justin? I'll give you Diane for Grant." JC smiles vindictively, but Justin simply shakes his head in protest.
"I'm not taking part in any of your fucking trades...now where is she, because I feel trigger happy and I have no problem emptying my barrel on you."
"Ok, ok, calm down. She's here. Let me...look, put down the gun Justin. I can't talk to you with that thing pointed at my face." JC instructs.
"No fucking way man..." Justin retorts.
"Look! I'm putting mine away. I still think we can make this work and come to some sort of agreement here. There's no need for violence." Lifting his hands in defeat, JC shows Justin that he's putting his gun away by tucking it into the waistband of his jeans then fixing his jacket.
Frowning in perplexity, Justin cocks his head to the side, wondering why JC is so calm and not fearing for his safety. Something isn't right...something is very wrong here. Justin gets the feeling in the pit of his stomach that maybe Jacob is right, maybe they should have brought backup. This is beginning to look more and more like a set up.
"What are you up to Josh?" Justin inquires, his grip on his gun tightening when JC reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of keys.
"Relax I'm going to bring you to her. Just, follow me." JC instructs before he whips around and ambles down the hallway with Justin close behind.
Glaring at JC's back, Justin's brows twitch in confusion. Doesn't JC know that he can just shoot him right now and he wouldn't see it coming? What the fuck is this? Glancing around the hallway, Justin does a double take when he hears one of the doors they just passed squeak, but, his attention is easily swayed when JC uses the same set of keys he pulled out and sticks one into one of the locks, twisting it to unlock the door before he turns the knob and pushes the door open to reveal a large, spacious bedroom.
Walking up next to JC, Justin's hand drops to his side as terror fills his blues by the sight in front of him. Looking into the room which is only furnished with a large king sized bed, a carpet and a dresser, his eyes land on what seems to be a lifeless Diane, twisted into a fetal position on the bed, her body barely rising with each shallow breath she takes.
Blinking rapidly, Justin remains solid in place, his mind riling with uncertainly and fear. Is she even alive? Dear god...
He can slowly feel his common sense and rational thoughts shutting down as a wave of emotions take over, the strongest one identifying itself as a sharp pain when his heart starts cracking inside of his chest, threatening to shatter into a million pieces.
He's so lost in the sight of her that he doesn't realize that a gun is being shoved into his lower back until he's nudged forward to move. Tensing, Justin looks over at JC who gives him a shrug before he hears another figure behind him, instructing him to walk into the room.
Keeping his gaze on JC, Justin simply drops his gun to the floor as the unidentified stranger pushes him up against the wall and begins searching him, finding his other hidden gun, disarming him in a flash.
Still in a dazed state, Justin completely forgets about the people around him as his eyes remain glued to Diane's form. This...this wasn't supposed to happen. This is his fault.
A sudden wave of nausea takes over, causing Justin to hunch forward as he swallows hard. "Oh god." He heaves as memories of his past begin flooding his mind, blinding his vision and thought processes. "What did you do to her?" Justin whispers, taking a step towards the bed, but stopping short when he hears JC's low, sharp tone.
"Did you really think I'd let you come in here and be waiting for you alone? How stupid do you think I am?" JC chortles and that easily snaps Justin back to reality, the nature of his situation magnifying ten times over when he turns around to face his ex friend who's now accompanied by two big dark men, both holding guns aimed in Justin's direction from the doorway. When did they get here? What's happening? He can't seem to make sense of anything with his mind solely focusing on Diane and her condition.
Justin has been expecting this. He's aware that he could never walk out of here with Diane that easily. What JC doesn't know is that he's always prepared for the worse, and right now, he'd be willing to die for the cause as long as JC dies too. Oh, he's not the only one who came here prepared. But, JC doesn't need to know any of that. So, Justin is just going to let everything unfold around them. He knows that what he's planned could easily end his life as well and he'd never get to build the life he's always wanted with Diane, but desperate times call for desperate measures and it's a risk he's willing to take.
Ignoring the two bulky men standing next to JC, Justin narrows his eyes at the smirking man, his breathing instantly picking up as rage begins bubbling in his system.
"What did you do to her Josh?" Justin demands in a sharp, hushed tone.
"She's fine."
"What did you fucking give her!?" Taking a step towards Josh, Justin stops abruptly when one of the men raises his gun in the air, pulling back the safety on the device.
Bowing his head, he sighs loudly when JC doesn't respond before he finally lifts his head up to glare at him, his eyes filled with detest. "You think you're the only one who has shit thought out and planned out Josh?" Justin snaps, a sly smile spreading across his lips. "You go ahead my friend, you eat your cake. You shoot me if you have to, but know that you're not living this house alive..." Justin threatens, causing JC to frown in bewilderment, a flash of panic spreading across his features before he hides it.
"What did you do?" JC asks angrily, but Justin just jeers at him, his mind warped as his deranged nature slowly takes over.
Giving JC a pitiful stare, Justin ignores him and moves over to Diane, but pauses briefly when he hears loud screams from somewhere downstairs, followed by a mass of gunshots...
"Shit I told them to wait for my signal!" JC's eyes widen as his face turns pale. "This is not...this is all wrong!" He growls angrily, and Justin's thoughts travel to his friends. He knows they can take care of themselves but if they're outnumbered, there's not much that they can do.
Diverting his attention back to Justin, JC groans in annoyance. "Why are you making this so easy for me Justin? You've completely let your guard down. Do you even care?" JC inquires when Justin turns his back to him and walks over to Diane.
"I'm sure it looks that way Josh." Justin states before he drifts off. Taking a seat at the edge of the bed, he glares at Diane, afraid to touch her for fear that he might break her. "JC," Justin whispers, causing the older man to cock his head to the side interestingly. "What did you do to her?" Justin asks calmly this time, his eyes scanning over the part of Diane's face that's exposed, landing on the fresh bruise on her cheek. Feeling his breath hitch in his throat, Justin swallows harshly as his eye squint, zooming in on the black and blue mark. Frowning, he leans forward, his fingers lightly tracing a pattern over the mark as he breathes deeply, his eyes glazing over. She doesn't even flinch.
"I...what does it matter?" JC growls.
Snapping his head in JC's direction, Justin rolls his eyes before giving JC a death glare that startles the older man. "What did you give her?" Justin grunts, his voice low and taunting.
"GHB...why?" JC swallows, his eyes darting around the room. Justin is not one to just back down like this. What is he up to? Well, JC is sure that whatever it is, Justin will forget about it when he sees the little surprise that JC has waiting to show him.
"You gave her what now? Do you know that stuff is lethal and can kill her?!" Justin hisses as he stands to his feet, balling his fists and trying to calm his nerves. It's three against one now, but he planned to be here like this, as sick and as twisted as it sounds, he has a plan. Him shooting up the place isn't going to help his situation so he had to give in and make himself vulnerable if only for a few. But JC is pushing his buttons. Right now, Justin doesn't even want to shoot JC anymore. Oh no, he wants to feel his hands on JC's neck, snapping it like a twig as JC's life is ripped away from him leaving him lifeless. He can't believe he put his hands on Diane. That was the biggest mistake JC could ever make.
Feeling a slight twitch in his eyes, Justin blinks rapidly to clear his vision, his fury literally blurring his vision as his mind remains hazed.
"Look Justin, I don't expect you to understand how serious this is because it's not your ass on the line if you don't deliver. But, the way I see it, since you fucked me over after everything we've been through, everything I did for you, it's only fair that I take my payment which in this case would be Diane." JC arches a brow when Justin simply glowers at him with no emotion present in his features. "Now you wanted to know if she was ok, here she is. You can stay there with her too while I go handle some shit. I have someone I want you to meet as well. I'll be back shortly." And with that said, JC moves to exit with his two gruff friends, instructing them to guard the door from the outside to make sure that Justin doesn't try anything stupid.
When the door slams shut, leaving Justin alone with Diane, he finally caves, allowing his composure to break. "Shit..." he heaves, with his palms covering his face as his elbows rest tentatively on his thighs to support his weight. "God..." He's not supposed to be like this. He should not show weakness, but, he can't help it. She's just lying there, barely breathing and probably overdosed on GHB which could put her into a coma or kill her. "This is my fucking fault." Justin whispers as his tears begin rushing to the surface. Fighting them away, he sniffles loudly before wiping at his nose and then eyes when a few tear droplets escape. No, he won't do this. He won't give in. He, he vowed to get them out of here and that's exactly what he's going to do.
Luckily for him, those men who searched him didn't find his knife or cell he tucked away in the socks of his shoes. Rooting out one of his shoes, he pulls out his cell phone, quickly switching it on before he hits speed dial, placing the device to his ear. Casting his vision in Diane's direction, he sighs tiredly as he strokes her long brown locks affectionately. "You'll be ok Di. You have to be. We'll get through this. I'm here now..." Justin whispers before leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead. That simple gesture makes her stir but she ceases all movement soon after.
Feeling his heart skip a beat, Justin jumps slightly when a voice finally picks up over the line. "This better be a good one." Comes that annoying voice that Justin has grown to hate.
"I'm not liking this either. You're not exactly on my favorite persons list with your bitchy nosey ass self Edwina." Justin stresses her name, hearing her laugh over the line.
"Ok Justin, I'm sorry. Are you at your destination yet?" She inquires and Justin gazes around the room in detest.
"Yeah." He mutters, mentally cursing himself for ever getting in contact with her. But, Justin isn't stupid.
He knew there was no way he and his men would get out of here alive without help. So, against his will and better judgment he contacted the one reporter who he despised with every fiber of his being. He knew she would never back down because this must be the story of the century she's been waiting to land and make her career. So, when they showed up at his estate grounds Justin did the unthinkable and pulled her to the side, informing her on his plans and the biggest story that would shake Las Vegas into a frenzy.
"Justin, I know you hate me, but you seem to be trying to do right here. You do know that the information you sent to us on Joshua Chasez and Grant Woods could all blow up in your face and uncover any secrets you may hold as well." Edwina reasons, hearing Justin groan over the line.
"I'm aware. Just get to the address I gave you with your fucking news trucks and the feds ok?"
Hearing the anguish in Justin's voice silences Edwina for a few seconds before she voices her next thought. "Are....are you ok? Is...is she..."
"What do you think!?" Justin snaps, but lowers his tone when he hears banging on the door and a muffled ‘keep it down in there'.
"We're on our way." Edwina assures.
"Wait you mean..."
"Ten minutes and we're there and this place is going to be swarming with law enforcement officers and news trucks. I hope you're ready for this Justin." Edwina states and Justin instantly feels a headache coming on. The feds and reporters? Shit...what was he thinking? Well, there is no turning back now.
"Fine." And with that said he hangs up the phone and stuffs it back into the groove of his sock and shoe before he pulls out his knife and tucks it away in the waistband of his jeans.
"Shit...I would just bomb the fucking place but you...you're here." Justin sighs while looking over at Diane again. "Di you seriously need to wake up." He croaks, standing on his feet to hover over her. Stretching his hands out to touch her, Justin pushes her back by the shoulder until she's laying flat on her back. Lifting the upper half of her body, he slides under to take a seat before cradling her in his arms as he pushes back some loose strands of hair. He doesn't miss the chain attached to her ankle when he does this and instantly scowls. Placing her back to lie down, Justin whips out his knife and moves over to her ankle, looking at the lock before he begins working on it with his knife to pick it. In no time flat, he has the lock undone and works to yank the chain from around her leg, watching the mark it leaves behind on her skin.
Straightening his posture, his head darts over to the door when he hears another set of gunshots go off. They seem closer than the last set. Shaking his head, he walks back over to Diane and pulls her to lie on his lap again, her being his main concern right now.
"Di?" Justin whispers as his emotions take the best of him again. Scratching at his black t-shirt clad chest, he inhales deeply as visions of Ashley and Simone float through his mind. "Di hey, baby you need to wake up." Justin taps the side of her face softly, scanning her features and storing every inch and groove of her in his memory. "Baby please..." Justin pleads as a few tears escape from his eyes again and land on her blue dress. "I'm so sorry, Courtney needs you Di." Justin voices, still trying to make her come through. "I...I need you." Justin whispers softly. "God, I'm so, so sorry Di, for everything. I love you...you have to wake up." He begs before he leans down to kiss her nose lightly. Jerking his head back when he sees her stir, Justin's eyes widen when she begins squirming in his hold. "Diane?"
Moaning lightly, Diane continues to squirm, her eyes still shut tight as her breathing picks up.
Before Justin can nudge her again, the door to the room swings open to reveal a very pissed off JC with his two bodyguard-type friends followed by Jacob and Ronnie being shoved into the room with Grant and another man in tow.
Giving his friends apologetic stares they just shrug in response before coming over to him.
"Hey man how is she doing?" Jacob voices, his shirt crimson red with blood.
"She's out cold. Shit J, that's not your blood is it?" Justin asks frantically.
"Na man, we took out JC's boys before he came down and stopped us." Jacob explains. "Wondering why he left us alive though, but I'm not one to complain." Jacob shrugs uncaringly before posting up on the side of the wall with Ronnie, who's visibly trembling at his side.
"You ok Ron?" Justin whispers to the terrified man, receiving a nod from the younger lad.
"They won't be for long Justin..." Snapping his head up at the sound of a low gruff voice, Justin locks eyes with an aging man with piercing brown eyes and dark black hair wearing a tailored suit.
"And who the fuck are you?" Justin snaps, tightening his hold on Diane, her head resting against his chest as she twitches ever so often but still seems to be unconscious.
"That's not important Justin. The point is, I know who you are and about your past. The deal is, if you want your boys alive, you will hand Diane over to us and let us leave here with her without causing a scene." The man explains in a thick Spanish accent with a sly smile.
Who is this fucker? He must be crazy to think that Justin is just going to hand Diane over to them like this. She's not some trophy to be won or some inanimate object that they can do with what they please.
"You're a sick fuck." Justin shakes his head sadly, eyeing his two friends who seem to be focused on the same man as well.
"Justin don't make this difficult. I'm willing to walk out of here and let you go if you just agree to give Diane to us. That means you do not interfere with our affairs or try to come looking for her to get her back." JC explains, and Justin easily puts Diane to lie down so he can stand.
"Josh, I meant what I said when I told you no the first time."
"Then we have no choice, we'll just take her from you." The same stranger sneers angrily.
"Who is this asshole JC?" Justin inquires, pointing to the man standing next to JC and ignoring their death stares.
"He, he's uh..." Stuttering over his words, JC rubs the back of his neck before walking over to Justin in a hushed tone. "Look Justin, that's not important. Just know that he's the dealer we've been doing business with and..." But Justin cuts him off.
"This asshole is the one behind all of this?" Justin hisses angrily, itching to just stretch over and grab JC in a chokehold.
"Yes, but you don't understand Justin's he's..."
"JC let me cure his curiosity." Placing a hand on JC's shoulder, the same man nudges him to step aside so he can speak with Justin himself as JC's two other goons remain stationed in place like bodyguards. "Now Justin, I think it's only fair, that you repay me for my loss. You took away someone I loved dearly so it's only fair that I return the favor. Now we're taking Diane whether you like it or not. If you're going to make this difficult, we can simply kill you now and get this over with."
"Wait, hold up, none of this makes any fucking sense." Justin belts.
"Do you remember Antonio Justin?" The man continues but Justin furrows his brows, not following until...
"He worked as the pool boy on your father's estate!" The man says impatiently and it's then that realization clicks.
"Wait, what's it to you..."
"He was my son Justin! You killed my only son." The man spits out furiously and it doesn't take long for Justin to put two and two together.
As his eyes grow wide with shock, Justin's heartbeat instantly increases when he locks eyes with the elderly man, a wave of hatred and fear washing over him. "You...you're...F...Franco?" Justin stutters, taking a step back in shock.
Franco nods his head in response and Justin begins mumbling obscenities under his breath in utter astonishment. "No, no you're dead. You..."
"You'd like to think that. They thought I was dead when they ambushed my estate all those years ago but I survived Justin. It was good for me though because I could lay low, but, I have been following your career all these years, just waiting for the opportune time to make you experience the pain I felt when you took my son's life all those years ago. You remember that day don't you Justin? I knew it was you...there was no doubt in my mind." Franco voices, causing the rage in Justin's system to boil over, and he finally snaps, not able to contain himself any longer.
"Son of a bitch, it's your fault my father is dead! It's your fucking fault!" Justin shouts before he lunges at Franco, but Franco easily pulls out his piece, stunting Justin's advancements.
"I've been waiting too long for this Timberlake. You deserve the same fate your father experienced. You're worthless."
"So help me god, you better shoot me Franco, you better fucking do it now! Else I'm going to kill you. I swear I'm going to fucking kill you." Justin heaves, gasping for air as his nostrils begin to flare with each step he takes towards Franco, his blues penetrating the Spanish man.
"Justin...Justin calm down." JC tries to reason but Justin is far gone now and only a bullet can stop him at this point. "Justin! Don't, don't make me do this." Pointing his gun in Justin's direction, JC pleads with his once friend to reconsider.
"So, this is it huh Josh? After everything, you go and betray me in the worse possible way?" Justin asks angrily. "What did he pay you off all those years ago too?" He snaps.
"No, no...I swear to you man. He found me, and he threatened to kill me if I didn't help him to get Diane for his trading shipments. What the fuck was I supposed to do!?"
"You could have done the right thing for once Josh instead of worrying about your fucking behind." Justin retorts, his hatred for JC evident in his glare.
"Stop Justin, stop walking else I'll shoot." JC warns as Justin diverts his attention back to Franco who's smirking at him before he puts away his piece. There are three other guns on Justin now. There is no way he's going to get to him. He'll drop dead before that happens.
"Then fucking do it JC, because I'm going to kill this motherfucker!" Justin belts before lunging at Franco.
"Justin! Fuck!" JC screams out before gunshots begin going off around them.
And just like that, everyone's world is flipped upside down as what's going on takes place so suddenly, it turns into one big blur.
Justin can hear endless shouting and screaming around him, but he sees nothing except red and the initial drive to keep going...
But then another gunshot goes off, this one louder than all the rest and he thinks about the kind of danger Diane is in, just laying there on that bed.
Freezing solid in place, Justin's eyes grow wide with fear as he remains paralyzed, the sight in front of him rendering him speechless. Shutting his eyes tightly, he opens them again and stumbles forward when he hears JC screaming out...
Then his blues connect to Franco's browns, the evil glare in his enemy's eyes replaced with fear before Justin sees him falling in slow motion to his knees...and just like that he's brought back to reality for the second time since he's been here.
"Holy shit!" Justin jumps back in shock when he notices JC's two large associates drop to the ground like flies, their blood squirting out and coating their shirts as they now lay lifeless on the floor. Shaking his head in shock, Justin looks at Franco who seems to be down as well, but still alive, groaning in pain with blood seeping through his shirt on his side. Then another shot goes off and just like that, Grant falls down as well.
"Wha....what's happening?" Justin inquires, hearing Jacob and Ronnie screaming out to him. Glancing over at JC, Justin frowns when he sees that JC is still standing, shock written all over his face as his gun drops from his hand. Whipping around, Justin notices that Diane is no longer lying on the bed but cradled in Ronnie's arms, his body acting as a shield to protect her from any stray bullets.
"Oh my god...what..." JC's cries are cut short when Justin's attention is diverted back to him. But, that doesn't last long when Justin hears his name being hummed by another individual.
Casting his vision to the doorway, he gasps when he sees who took all those men out unexpectedly. "Ra...Rachel!" Justin all but screams out as her eyes dart in his direction for a split second, her aim dead set on JC who's looking between her, and the four men laying on his bedroom floor. "Oh my fucking god, Rachel are you insane!?" Justin cries out, stepping over the bodies and rushing up to her. Stopping briefly, he gazes at her trembling form before his lips twitch into a light smile. "What are you doing here Rachel?"
"Don't move JC!" Jacob calls out, causing both Justin and Rachel to look over at JC.
Justin's not sure when Jacob regained control of the situation, but he's now pointing a gun at a baffled JC. It all happened so quickly even Justin is a little lost. He wasn't expecting this outcome that's for sure.
"Are they dead? Did I kill them?" Rachel finally speaks, her voice weak and shaky.
"Give me the gun Rach." Justin instructs before he carefully rips it out of her fingers. Giving her one last glance, he sighs audibly. "I don't know how you did it, but I love you Rach and thank you."
Nodding rapidly, her trembling hands drop to her side as she leans against the doorframe to support her body weight.
Looking over at JC, Justin shakes his head sadly. "I didn't plan this." Justin says lightly, his smile never leaving his lips. "But this works out so much better."
"Justin, look man we can...we can come to some sort of agreement here." JC pleads, dropping to his knees.
Thinking about how pathetic JC is, Justin brushes him off before he walks around the room towards Grant who's lying next to Franco. Justin would have thought about sparing Grant's life if he didn't think he was going to try and take him out the first chance he got. No, this was the end. It was him or them and that wasn't a tuff decision to make.
"Grant." Justin says coldly, watching how the gasping man glares at him, gripping his wounded shoulder. Hovering, Justin shakes his head sadly before he pulls back the safety on the gun that Rachel used and points it towards Grant's head.
"Justin...please." Grant begs, his voice faint and barely audible.
"I'm sorry but, I don't want to be looking over my back for the rest of my life because of you." Justin simply states, his eyes twinkling. He's long lost his control and the fact that his temper has boiled over to a calm signifies just how unstable he really is. He's thirsty for blood, revenge and clearing this mess up once and for all. There is nothing that can change his mind now. It's too late for all of them. When Grant opens his mouth to speak again, Justin turns his head away and presses down on the trigger, hearing the gun go off before Grant falls lifelessly unto the floor, the screams of JC filling the room.
Ignoring JC, Justin simply glares at him when he makes a move towards him but Jacob blocks his path.
"You fucking son of a bitch! I told you Justin! You're no better than us. You're a coldblooded murderer! How can Diane ever want that in her life!" JC screams, trying to get past Jacob but to no avail.
Absorbing JC's words, Justin puffs out his chest and puts on his hardcore ruthless face as he walks over to Franco who's still on the floor, sputtering blood silently.
"I bet you never thought it would come to this huh Franco?" Justin growls, still having a hard time accepting the older man's presence. It will be over soon so...
"Go ahead Timberlake. Pull the trigger. You've wanted this for most of your life am I right? To avenge your father's death?" Franco hisses, coughing slightly before he continues. "Then go ahead and do it. It's not going to bring your old man back." He spits out, laying on the floor in his own pool of blood.
Lifting the gun towards Franco's chest where his heart is situated, Justin inhales sharply, itching to pull the trigger but...something stops him, causing his hands to drop to his side and he takes a step back.
"No." Justin voices, shocking everyone in the room. "I'm not you Franco. There are fates a lot worse than death." Justin implies. "You and I both know the feds have enough dirt on you now that not even the best lawyer can get you out of. Your fate is life in prison without parole Franco. Maybe even the death sentence, who knows. I do know, killing you would be too easy. But, you can stay alive and miss your kid just like I miss my dad. Let that haunt you, that I was the one who put that bullet through Antonio's skull." Wiping at his face, Justin walks away from Franco's form, figuring if he dies here from his already bullet wound it wouldn't matter. The point is he didn't pull the trigger.
Shock is written all over Franco's face, but he winces in pain when he tries to move.
"Big mistake Justin. Even if I'm inside, I can easily send my men to take you out." Franco threatens, but Justin simply laughs at him.
"Franco, I highly doubt it, since all your men are already dead." Justin informs, stunning the injured man into silence. "You think that just because you were supposedly dead all those years ago, I'd leave them alive? No man, I took them out one by one. You were in hiding and I'm sure you had no contact with them, so you didn't know. Now you know."
Then Franco lets out a harsh scream, calling out to Justin, challenging him to come back and face him like a man, but, Justin has other things on his mind.
Glancing over at Ronnie who has Diane in his arms still, he sighs. "How is she Ron?" Justin inquires.
"Still unconscious. We need to get her to a hospital J." Ronnie voices.
"Justin we need to go." Jacob adds in, gripping JC in a chokehold with his gun pointed at his temple to make sure he doesn't budge.
"Yeah, you're right Jac, because the media and cops are on the way." Justin replies nonchalantly.
"What!?" Both Ronnie and Jacob shout in unison.
"Sorry, but I told you I had a plan."
"But this Justin? There are bodies all over the fucking place." Jacob hisses angrily.
"I didn't say it was a good plan Jacob." Justin spits out in aggravation. "Let JC go Jac."
"You have to take him out. This will never be over if you don't take him out." Ronnie suggests, but Justin shakes his head no, locking eyes with JC. He's still lost as to how things took this turn so unexpectedly and suddenly because of Rachel but he has to say that he's grateful.
"It's over. Isn't it JC?" Justin asks the terrified man.
JC shakes his head rapidly and, Justin shrugs uncaringly before he motions for Ronnie to carry Diane out of the room. "We're living..." Justin inquires before his friends move around the room to exit.
Looking at the gun in his palms, Justin wipes away any traces of Rachel's fingerprints and replaces it with his own before he tucks it into his waistband. He would never let his cousin take the fall for this. Walking over to JC, Justin ushers him to take a seat on the bed then grabs the same chain that was around Diane's ankle, attaching it to JC's ankle instead. Moving back, he dips his hand in JC's pocket, retrieving his bunch of keys before he takes a step away.
JC is so dazed right now, that all he can really do is blink slowly and take in deep breaths. It's all over. Everything he worked so hard for is over. He can't go to jail. He'll never survive jail. He'd rather die than endure a life sentence...
No, he can't do it! He won't go to jail! He won't. As his breathing picks up, JC gasps slightly before his vision begins clouding over with unshed tears. Stifling his cries, he drops his head in his palms, heaving.
Rolling his eyes at JC's obvious breakdown, Justin walks away from him and towards the exit, giving Franco who seems to be losing consciousness one last glance.
"And JC." Justin looks over at him standing in the middle of the room with all the dead bodies around him. "Remember to smile for the camera when the media arrives. You too Franco." Justin chuckles before moving to exit the room with his friends in tow.
Escorting Ronnie who's carrying Diane, Jacob and Rachel out of the room, Justin stops abruptly when JC calls out to him.
Turning around to face the older man for the last time, Justin's eyes grow wide when he sees that JC is pointing a gun directly at him. Shit, he should have checked him to see if he was carrying a piece. Smirking, Justin folds his arms across his chest. "You're going to shoot me JC? After I spared your life? I didn't even lay a finger on you like I wanted to and you're going to take me out now?" Justin inquires, feeling his heartbeat speed up. Gasping, Rachel moves to block Justin's path but Jacob stops her before pointing his gun at JC and screaming for him to put down his piece.
"You destroyed me Justin. Everything I worked so hard for! Everything! You don't understand. If I don't deliver Diane then it's...it's all over. Franco's partners won't be pleased!" JC sobs, his tears rapidly falling as he keeps his aim on Justin.
"How much was Diane going for JC?" Justin asks calmly, though he can feel the cold sweat because by the crazy look in JC's eyes, Justin is pretty sure he's about to pull that trigger.
"Six point eight million Justin! I'm fucked!" JC screams out fiercely. "I'm sorry Justin. You were a good friend. I'm sorry it all came to this." JC apologizes before pulling back the safety of the gun.
"JC! Put it down man!" Jacob continues to scream. "Don't make me take you out man."
"Don't bother." JC replies, suddenly switching his aim from Justin to his own self.
And just like that, in the blink of an eye and clearly unexpected, he pulls the trigger with the gun against his temple, the bullet immediately piercing his skull causing him to fall limp unto the mattress of the bed.
"Oh my god!" Rachel screams out, falling into Justin's embrace. Watching in horror, Justin stumbles back in shock, his eyes burning from what he just witnessed. Sure he wanted to kill JC at first but the aspect of being locked behind bars seemed more suitable. Besides, Justin could never go through with it. JC was once his friend and he wanted to remember the good part of their friendship. But this? This was unbelievable. He never would have known JC to be so desperate to take his own life like this!
"jesus...holy shit." Justin gasps, still staring at a lifeless JC, the gun falling from his hand unto the floor making a loud noise. He suddenly feels the urge to hurl. Justin moves to walk towards JC's bloody form, still in a state of shock but, Jacob grips Justin's arm roughly, pulling him back and out of the room.
"Jay, jay snap out of it! He did us a favor man, we couldn't stop it, and we didn't see it coming." Jacob tries to assure Justin, but Justin just shakes his head still in disbelief.
"Oh my god." Justin mutters, hugging Rachel against his chest tightly.
"Dude! The fucking cops! We need to leave...now!" Ronnie belts before dashing down the hallway towards the stairs. "Diane needs a hospital Justin!"
Coming out of his current stupor from the mention of Diane, Justin takes one last glance at JC, the scene in the bedroom looking like a massacre of some kind. Pulling the door shut, Justin looks over at his friends and nods his head before they all sprint for the exit of the mansion to get into their vehicles and off the estate grounds before any news reporters or cops arrive.
Deciding that he will go with Rachel in her car, Justin bids farewell to Ronnie and Jacob for the time and mentions to them that he will meet up with them soon before both vehicles drive out of the estate grounds and disappear down the street in different directions. On their way out of the estate grounds, they hear the faint sounds of sirens in the distance...
Now sitting in the back seat with Diane laying lifeless in his arms, Justin can't help but grip unto her for dear life as he sways back and forth, lulling her to wake up as his tears begin flowing rapidly down his cheeks.
"It's all my fault Rach. She never deserved this." Justin sobs softly.
Looking at him through the review mirror in the driver's seat, Rachel sighs. "Be strong for her Justin. We're almost at the hospital. When we drop her off, we'll head to Hugh's to pick up Courtney ok?"
"God, she has to get through this Rach. She has to see her little girl again." Justin sniffles tremendously but all Rachel can do is watch her cousin and give him her sympathy. She's scared for Diane too. But, there's nothing more they can do except get her the help that she needs.
Glancing through the review mirror and locking eyes with Rachel, Justin sighs tiredly as he cradles Diane against his chest. "I...I love her Rach." He admits weakly. It's something he never thought he could do.
Smiling weakly, she nods her head in acknowledgement. "I know Justin." She inhales deeply before diverting her attention back to the road. "I know."
****
Las Vegas General Hospital...
Bursting through the doors of LV General Hospital with Diane in his arms, Justin rushes up to the emergency section with Rachel close behind. Screaming out obscenities, he rushes up to one of the nearby doctors in the hall begging for someone to help them.
"Hey, hey she needs help can you help us?" Justin inquires to the doctor who gives him a once over, noting the blood on Justin's shirt and hands.
Immediately calling out for assistance, it doesn't take long for a few nurses to respond to the doctor's call. When they bring over a bed, Justin places Diane to lie down before the nurses and doctor moves over to attend to her.
"Can you tell me what happened here?" The man whose nametag reads Dr. Armstrong inquires. He has chestnut brown hair with grey streaks and light brown eyes. There's a light beard around his face and he scratches at it lightly as he eyes Justin for a response.
"She...she was uh, overdosed." Justin states, taking a step back and away from the doctor's intense gaze.
Diverting his attention back to Diane, Dr. Armstrong nods in agreement. "Drugs? What kind?"
"Uh GHB." Justin mutters under his breath, seeing the shocked expression on the doctor's face.
"What?"
"It...she..." But Justin drifts when Diane suddenly begins shaking uncontrollably, her body spasming on top of the bed.
"Nurses code red! This woman is having a seizure! Take her to the ER." Dr. Armstrong calls out, seeing all the nurses frantically work on holding Diane's form down as they attempt to wheel her away.
"I'm sorry sir, but I need to take her into the emergency room and work on her immediately. Do you know how much she took or was given to her?"
Searching the doctor's eyes, Justin shakes his head no, still taking steps back. The man is giving him an accusatory stare like he's the one who did this to her. He can't stay here. He just...he can't be here in this place, where people die. No, no he won't do it. "No, no is Diane going to be ok?" Justin inquires, his heart thumping out of his chest. He can feel his tears rapidly building to the surface, the vision of her shaking uncontrollably burnt into his memory.
"I don't know sir, but you can wait in the waiting room and I'll be back shortly..." But the doctor drifts off when Justin turns his back towards him to leave. "Sir! Sir where are you going? Sir, sir please don't leave. We need information on the patient." Dr. Armstrong calls out, but Justin is already dragging Rachel who was looking on silently out the exit of the brightly illuminated hospital.
"Justin we can't leave..."
"Yes we can. I can't stay here...I can't hear them tell me that she didn't make it Rach. I fucking can't!" Justin screams in a panicked tone as he hauls his cousin over to her car so they can leave.
"You're being irrational Justin! You can't leave!" Rachel belts at him, yanking her arm out of his grasp. Stopping in front of her car, Justin turns to face her with a scowl on his face.
"Give me the keys Rach."
"What? But..."
"Give me the fucking keys Rachel else I swear to god..."
Handing Justin the keys, Rachel takes a step back when he yanks the door on the driver's side open and hops in, slamming it shut and bringing the car to life. Rolling down the window, Justin glares at Rachel through beet red eyes since he's been crying this entire time but was numb to it all. As a few more tears escape his eyes, he bows his head in thought before he locks eyes with her. "I don't know how you found us Rach but I'll let you tell me another time ok? It isn't over yet. The fucking media and cops are going to take me in for questioning. You know this. I can't be here. You...you take care of Di and my little girl ok? You take care of them Rach. I'll be back...soon." Justin voices before he places the car in reverse, backing out of the parking spot.
"Justin no! No don't do this!" Rachel cries out running behind the car to stop him.
"I'll be back Rach, don't worry about it." Justin assures before placing the gear in drive. Ignoring the frantic screams of his cousin to come back, Justin tunes her out before he hits on the accelerator, peeling out of the Hospital's parking lot and onto the busy Las Vegas streets in Nevada where he easily disappears into the Las Vegas traffic and right out of the lives of everyone he loves...
Author's Note: *Just a quick note I forgot to add. I love JC, I really do love that man, the real life JC not the one in the story who is fictional. So, I hope I haven't offended anyone with what happened to his character but just know that it needed to be done and again, it's strictly fiction, I don't own him in any way of course. :) Ok.*